[philmont] Philmont Equipment

I have just put the following information on the www.philmont.com message board, in response to some discussions appearing there. I thought some of you might find it useful. Merry Christmas to you all, and have a Happy and Healthy New Year.

The equipment, issued by Philmont, is heavier and more "robust" than what you might buy for your own personal use. It is intended to be used by 25,000 campers passing through Philmont during the summer. I guarantee they use it hard.
 
The Camping Services staff will ONLY issue complete Trail Chef kits. You can leave unwanted pieces in your crew locker while on the trail. We issue complete kits, and you are expected to return complete kits.
 
We will issue a single 8 qt. pot. We refer to those as wash pots.
 
We generally issue equipment based upon a list given to us by the Ranger, after his/her discussion with the crew. This will be some combination of the equipment listed on page 18 of the Guidebook to Adventure. Bear bags are usually issued 1 bag for each 2 crew members.
 
We initially issue from 3 to 16 trail meals, depending upon itinerary and program meals (Mexican Dinner, Chuckwagon dinner, etc). Sixteen meals for a crew of 12 is an eye-popping amount of food. That is the reaction we see when the crew comes to the Services window to pick up their food.
 
There has been some discussion about rain gear. Philmont HIGHLY recommends a rain suit, and I heartily agree. A poncho will not keep you warm, and may not even keep you dry. On other High Adventure programs, when the weather has turned bad, I have seen members with ponchos unable to complete the program while those with rain suits had no problem. I have seen Philmont crew members with those flimsy emergency ponchos. If they encountered one of Philmont's afternoon thunderstorms, with rain, wind, and hail, I know they were miserable. This is not an item you should go cheap on. Go for the rain suit.
 
The trail menu for 2007 will probably be available in April, and I will post it as soon as I have it available. It is not too soon, however, to start thinking about food - especially those who have special food requirement. The following is from the Guidebook to Adventure, and you are expected to abide by this.
 
"Philmont trail food is by necessity a high-carbohydrate, high-caloric diet. It is high in wheat, milk products, sugar and corn syrup, and artificial coloring/flavoring, (lots of tree nuts and peanuts). If an individual is allergic to some food products or requires a special diet, suitable trail food must be purchased at home and brought to Philmont. Lightweight, non-perishable, low bulk foods are recommended for backpacking. Package each day's meals separately and write the person's name and Expedition Number on each package. Upon arrival at the ranch, give the food to your Ranger who will take it to Logistics. Arrangements will be made to transport it to the appropriate backcountry commissaries for your crew. There is no fee reduction for individuals who bring their own food."
 
My goal in monitoring this message board, is to answer questions as best I can, and to head off misunderstandings if I see them developing. I am the Asst. Manager of Camping Services on the seasonal staff, but what I say is "ME" talking, and in no way meant to be an official response from Philmont. If you want that, you need to contact Mark Anderson or Doug Palmer at Philmont.
 
If I can be of any assistance, please let me know.
 
Jim Van Hecke
Asst. Mgr. Camping Services
'04, '05, '06, '07
Philmont Scout Ranch
jvh2099@aol.com

-------------------------------------------------------
Scouting E-mail Discussion Lists @ usscouts.org
Listserv Commands at http://usscouts.org/lists/lc.asp
-------------------------------------------------------
Send listserv commands to: listserv@troop47.com
Send postings to: philmont@troop47.com
List FAQ found at: http://usscouts.org/lists/faq.asp
List Administrator: philmont_owner@troop47.com
-------------------------------------------------------
To Unsubscribe send text email to:

     To: listserv@troop47.com
     Subject: unsubscribe
     Body: unsubscribe philmont@troop47.com
-------------------------------------------------------

As you gather around this virtual campfire with fellow
Scouts and Scouters, do your best to be trustworthy,
loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient,
cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent.
-------------------------------------------------------

 
Received on Wed Dec 20 14:58:55 2006